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Did you know fast evolving API automation or Application Programming Interface technology can now connect freight rates to most E-Commerce Platforms? Gone are the days of needing to quote each customer’s freight shipment to win each sale with all its headaches and inefficiencies. By connecting Carrier-Direct or 3PL Brokered Rates via API to your website. You are literally injecting your freight shipping rates, into your preferred E-commerce or sales platform. Allowing the software platforms to auto-rate and book heavier freight shipments of any sort in a full automated fashion.
How do these API's for freight actually work?
Application Proramming Interface literally connects and allows various software application to communicate using standardized programming language. Thus, simplifying the connecting and communication process for freight quoting, and freight shipping procedures. Additionally, API automation also requires less programming time for your team, and in many cases can almost be turned on like a switch within your preferred E-commerce or other sales platform.
Once the connection is made and you have selected your preferred booking parameters within your E-commerce platform. The rates can literally be injected into your website at checkout. Obviously, if you don’t want your clients to see your actually freight rates you have a variety of choices. You can either offer free shipping, include the rate in the cost of goods, or add various markups to your base freight shipping rates to provide wiggle room for freight related adjustments or bit of extra profit along the way.
Purchase and shipping data imput for actually API automation client.
Shipment quote screen showing carriers, transit times, and exact charges they will pay at check out. API automation sample actually clients website.
What E-Commerce and other platforms can you actually connect to?
In most cases, technology forward freight companies can provide fixed or standing API connections to the largest E-commerce platforms like, Shopify , Woo-Commerce, Magento, Volusion, etc. Furthermore, if your preferred freight or logistics company does not have a fixed API connection, many times they can provide a Rest API. Which takes a little bit more programming and customization, but can basically achieve the same level of freight shipping automation.
What is the Net Benefit to your firm?
Honestly why wouldn’t you want more automation when it comes to your sales and freight shipping process. Automating your freight shipping quoting, booking, and operating procedures and parameters will save you tons of time. Not only that, but man power, mistakes caused by human errors, saving you tons of money in staff and operational costs. While simultaneously providing an overall better more seamless buying and shipping experience for your clients even when dealing with larger freight sized items.
What are the major benefits to your clients?
Like I was alluding to in the previous paragraph. The overall benefit to your client is a more seamless, easy, and hopefully cost effective buying experience. Even when buying larger freight shipped items, that have historically demanded more oversight and specialization of shipping process. Not to mention, with the sophistication of most TMS or Freight Transportation Management Systems; your clients can receive email and text tracking alerts every step of the way. Thus keeping them in the loop on every step of purchase and freight shipment life-cycle.
In Summary
If your organization is looking to streamline, automate, or overall economize your freight shipping/sales process. You owe it to yourself to look at these new API automations to E-commerce and other sales platforms. Once set up, your logistical staff cost will go drastically down. You will need substantially less oversight and management of the process and you day to day logistics team. Your clients will be wowed by their seamless buying and shipping experience even for large cumbersome items. The only questions is what are you going to do with all the free time and extra revenue! Perhaps you can take over a whole new industry! Or just take a much need vacation!
Connect with us to discuss our exciting freight shipping API automation!
Additionally great links and source of API automation information and help setting up these services!